Morocco’s ‘pilgrimage of the poor’ honours Sufi Muslim saint

Moulay Driss Zerhoun: It’s dubbed the “pilgrimage of the poor” — every summer, tens of thousands of people flood this small central Moroccan town to honour a Sufi saint buried here 12 centuries ago. Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, nestled between two hills covered in olive groves, is where Idriss I, a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) who founded Morocco’s first Islamic dynasty, was laid to rest in the late eighth century.

In the main square, pilgrims grouped in “brotherhoods” from a host of countries walk in a procession to mark the start of the “moussem” (season), an annual homage that lasts for over a month. For many Moroccans it is an alternative to the major Muslim hajj pilgrimage to holy sites in Saudi Arabia.

“Those who can’t afford to travel to Mecca come here to pray at the grave,” says Fatmi Chbihi, who belongs to a town committee made up of descendants of Idriss I.